The Royal Engagement
by that-girl-at-the-corner
Summary: "Her face was set in a grimace as she appraised her betrothed. He was a chef, and a good one if she heard it right. But how can this man be a prince? Where were his aides? His guards? His entourage? He was dressed as a commoner when he came to the palace! How can he be a prince?"
1. The Beginning

**The Royal Engagement**

* * *

 **A/N:** Originally written for SoRina/SouEri Week Day 2: Royalty

* * *

She was a princess.

He was a nobody—a mere traveler by the looks of it.

But for the life of her, she cannot fathom how on Earth had this low class citizen entered the castle and managed to get permission from her grandfather to have an audience with her.

An audience with _her_.

 _Her._ Princess Erina Nakiri. Heir to Totsuki Kingdom. Bearer of God's Tongue. The most sought out princess throughout the world.

Princes and chefs from kingdoms far and wide were fighting over to get a chance to present themselves or their dishes to her. The castle she was in was heavily guarded to prevent any unwanted intruder to even have a glimpse of her hair. And yet this man was able to get inside the Nakiri castle with only short notice.

;

He came to the palace two days ago.

She had just left from the Royal Library after finishing her studies and was about to get her snacks from the Royal Kitchen when she saw him. His dirty outfit was so out of place inside the room full of clean and neatly organized cooking tools that her head immediately screamed in alarm.

"Thief!" she had cried then called for the guards.

The man abruptly faced her in surprise and she quickly grabbed the nearest thing within her reach (which was a rolling pin) then pointed it at him in defense.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? And _how_ did you get in here?" she asked as threateningly as possible while trying to calm herself. She glared at the intruder, refusing to display any more signs of fear aside from her panicked scream earlier.

The intruder raised both of his hands and attempted to slowly inch his way towards her but she held her weapon higher in warning, effectively halting his movements.

"Whoa, easy there princess."

She heard the hurried footsteps of the guards and though she was relieved, she didn't dare avert her eyes from him. That is, until Julio, the palace chef, entered the kitchen from the adjoining room.

"Princess Erina!" Julio exclaimed, bowing his head as he got between her and the stranger.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but this man meant no harm. I assure you that he is not a thief or an intruder. He was interested in culinary so the King place him under my care and gave him permission to observe in the kitchen."

Despite Julio's explanation, Erina couldn't help but narrow her eyes in confusion. Why would her grandfather, the King, let this man inside the palace? She returned her gaze over Julio's shoulder and the man gave her a tentative grin in which she returned with a glare.

He was wearing a simple brown tunic, black trousers with black boots under a rag (a brown cloak, but she saw it as a rag nonetheless). Strapped around his shoulder was a black satchel and nothing more. If she were the one that saw him in front of the palace gate, she would have sent him away without a second thought for daring to come into her castle without bothering to dress formally. She was wondering why the guards didn't do exactly that but the only reason that she had fished from them afterwards was because ' _he made the most delicious food'._

She was disgusted. To think that the most elite guards of the Nakiri Empire could be bribed by food. Her grandfather just laughed when she requested for those guards to be fired. He said that their claims were verified.

This only increased her terrible mood. She had no doubt in her mind that whatever 'that man' had served was drugged because there was no way that her grandfather would let any stranger get close to her.

She angrily made her way towards her quarter, her shoes clicking on the marble floor.

Her maids efficiently helped her out of her morning dress and into a comfortable night gown before showing their way out of her room to give her privacy.

The sky was getting darker and the air was getting chilly. If she was in a better mood, she would have opened her glass window that leads to a balcony and watch as the sky turns to orange.

She didn't know how long she stayed silent when a knock was heard outside her door.

"Come in."

A maid entered the room carrying a tray with what she presumed to be her dinner.

"What is this?" She asked incredulously when she saw what her maid had set up on the small round table at the center of her room.

There were two bowls on the table, one contained white rice while the other contained what appeared to be scrambled eggs. If she didn't know any better, she would assume that the dish in front of her was a _Japanese Fukikake Gohan_. But there was no way that Julio would serve her that kind of simple dish. No way.

"Umm, this is the food that was prepared for you, Princess Erina," her maid replied nervously.

She eyed the table dubiously before flipping her hair and dismissing the poor servant. If Julio prepared this, then there is surely something special behind this ordinary looking dish, right?

She picked her chopstick and was about to have a bite when another knock was heard. Thinking that it was one of her maids, she called out her consent only to be surprised when 'that man' entered her room.

She stood up and crossed her arms, glaring the man in the process.

"And what do you think you're doing here?"

The man was not deterred. "Your Highness," he greeted with a bow.

"Forgive me for my earlier rudeness, princess. I hope you're enjoying my little token of apology."

"I received no such thing," she said coldly. She wasn't going to accept anything coming from _him_.

"Sure you have," he answered excitedly. "You were about to eat it if I hadn't arrived."

With this admission, Princess Erina was quite sure that the dish was indeed _Furikake Gohan._ With him on the room and his dish sitting atop her table, there was no denying that it made her blood boil.

"How dare you. First, you infiltrated my castle, then you almost dirtied my kitchen, and now you dare to serve me this-this plebian dish? I am Princess Erina Nakiri and my tongue can only be satisfied by the finest cuisine. Did you really think that something like this is worth my God's Tongue?" she stated coldly and proceeded towards the door to get the man out of the room.

"Who's to say that this is just an ordinary Furikake Gohan?"

Pleased that he had caught the princess's attention, the stranger with red hair picked up the bowl containing the scrambled eggs and gave the heiress a smirk. She narrowed her eyes at him but couldn't stop her curiosity. How could he possibly improve that kind of dish?

"I present you, Yukihira style Transforming Furikake Gohan." He stated proudly as he poured the contents into the rice bowl.

Erina watched as golden cubes fell into the rice, morphing its white color into gold. Not being able to resist the temptation of an undiscovered dish, Princess Erina unconsciously returned to the table, not noticing her companion's victorious smile. She picked her discarded chopsticks and, without making her curiosity too obvious, took a tentative bite of the so-called Transforming Furikake Gohan.

The moment it entered her mouth, Erina felt like her legs were about to give out. She felt like she was floating to the clouds, with angels singing a beautiful melody while her body relaxed. She felt divine.

She wasn't even aware that she have taken a couple of bites and it took all of her remaining self-control not to moan out loud from the sensation she was feeling from her mouth.

"I told you." The man said, successfully breaking the spell that momentarily bound the princess. As Erina opened her eyes, she couldn't help the frustration bubbling inside her chest at seeing the smug smile that was thrown in her way.

"It was good, wasn't it?" The excited glint in his golden eyes told her that he already knew the answer.

She was embarrasses and angry with herself for losing control.

"It was..." she stopped. She couldn't finish the sentence. Embarrassment, mortification and uncertainty warring inside her head but a quick glance at the shit-eating grin of red head made up her mind.

Cold purple eye met the hopeful gold ones.

"It was disgusting." She spat. "Get out!"

He was too stunned to argue.

When she was left alone in her room, she angrily stared at the bowl.

 _How dare he?_ She angrily thought as she finished eating.

;

Now here she was, sitting in a velvet chair at an elevated part of the Audience Chamber while glaring at 'Yukihira' who was standing in front of her.

He eyed the young man warily. She was wondering why he was still here.

He was wearing a fancier attire— a blue and white prince's outfit. _Probably provided by the palace_. She thought disapprovingly.

Although he was dressed accordingly— _or as regal as one can be_ , she begrudgingly admitted—she couldn't help but find a flaw. His red hair was not gelled and a little messy; his smile was polite but had a hint of mischief; his left eyebrow was scarred; and was that a bandage on his wrist? How sure are they that this man was safe?

Before she can throw any insult or criticism to man in front of him, the huge doors opened to reveal his grandfather.

"I heard that there was a bit of a commotion yesterday?" Her grandfather boomed as he made his way towards the center of the room. His tone wasn't angry or patronizing. It's not even threatening, which means that he doesn't have a slightest care on that matter.

"Forgive me, you Majesty." 'Yukihira' knelled down in front of the King but Erina recognizes the tone in his voice. It was the same one he used while addressing her last night and now he was also using it to address the King. He spoke with a hint of familiarity as if the presence of the royal family doesn't bother him at all.

"It was only a little… misunderstanding" he said playfully while looking directly at her, his eyes saying that he knew something that she didn't. This time, Erina didn't hide her scowl.

"Doesn't matter," his grandfather cut in, ignoring the interaction between the two, and motioned for Erina.

Confused, she rose from her seat and slowly made her way towards the two men. Yukihira made a small bow of acknowledgement before turning his attention to the King, and Erina (though reluctantly) doing the same.

"My dear, as I know that you are very much aware that in a few weeks you'll be turning 18."

Erina felt her stomach drop. She knew where this conversation was heading. Why were they having this conversation at this moment? And most importantly, why were they having this conversation in front of _him_?

An unpleasant scenario entered her head and she tried her best to convince herself that it was impossible. He's not suggesting what she thinks he was suggesting, right? There was no way.

"I know that you have never favored any one of your former suitors, but dear, I am not getting any younger. And it has been tradition that if the princess cannot choose her intended partner before her 18th birthday, then the King must choose for her. You have to present someone on the night of your celebration party. And you have to know that all my decisions have always been made by putting the county's _and_ your best interest in mind."

Princess Erina listened as calmly as possible. She knew this was coming. It was her fault for turning down all of the suitors that have sought her but it wasn't her fault that all of them were way below her level. Even putting her feelings aside, those princes weren't worth considering. None of them displayed the quality of a future ruler. They were all self-important princes who only knew how to brag and to look good.

Her gaze returned to the man in front of her. No matter how many times she assured herself, she doesn't know where he fit in all of this, except for one.

She was hoping she was wrong and that he was just a mere messenger from a faraway kingdom.

"Erina dear," her grandfather said, a telltale that he was finally going to announce the biggest decision that he made for her life.

"I present to you your betrothed, Prince Soma Yukihira," he said, turning to the redhead and thus fulfilling the thing she had dreaded the most.

Her grandfather continued to explain but Princess Erina heard only bits and pieces. Her face was set in a grimace as she appraised her _betrothed_. He was a chef, and a good one if she heard it right. But how can this man be a prince? Where were his aides? His guards? His entourage? He was dressed as a commoner when he came to the palace! How can he be a prince?

"So what is it, Princess?" Soma Yukihira asked, cutting her reverie while flashing her that annoying grin while his hands were tucked on his pockets. His demeanor told her that he knew she hasn't been paying attention and did nothing to hide his amusement.

"Tell me what you want so that I can satisfy that tongue of yours." He said as he accepted her hand from her grandfather and bowed to kiss her knuckles.

She looked down at him and, for a moment, relished in the fact that she was still in control. No matter how much arrogance Soma Yukihira project, he will always bow down to her while she would look down to him. She had no intention of changing this arrangement anytime soon.

"And tell me, Soma Yukihira. What gave you such confidence that you could satisfy my godly palate?"

"Well, you just have to at least let me try."

His eyes glinted with challenged as he met the princess's gaze and for a brief moment, Erina let a smirk graze on her pink lips.

"Oh, believe me. I would enjoy nothing more than to see you try in vain."

;

.thatgirl.


	2. The Interlude

**THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I have been meaning to post this for a while but between going back and forth to the hospital and then desperately catching up to my school works, Ionly finished it today. I just hope that it turned out well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shokugeki no Soma and any of its characters.

* * *

By the fourth day, Soma had already memorized her schedule. Or at least, he had it figured out. It wasn't so hard since it was all just about routine. It was all about patterns and given that he spent most of his time at the kitchen, it was only a matter of time before he incorporated her meals as the intervals for her three-part schedule.

First, she eats her breakfast at her room.

At dawn, the kitchen would already be bustling with preparing breakfast for the royal family and also for the servants. Hers _should_ be delivered at exactly seven in the morning and her bath should be ready by the time she finished her meal.

She wouldn't be seen for the remainder of the morning since she would either be at the Audience Chamber doing her God's tongue business, or else somewhere doing something of equal importance.

Secondly, her lunch signals the end of her morning appointments.

It should be served at exactly twelve noon so that she can dismiss everyone who have come to seek her expertise on food. She would be done for the day and retreat to the Royal Library for her studies and wouldn't be done until after four.

And lastly, she would have dinner with the King and any other member of the Royal Family before going to bed.

Though, it became a little complicated after he came. The King insisted that he also join them for dinner (in which the princess wasn't so happy about, it seemed). To top it off, the King very happily _suggested_ that Soma should escort her to her room—an alone time "that would help them warm up to each other". And while Soma doesn't mind, the glare that he received hinted that the princess was not very happy about these new arrangements.

So with this schedule, it was expected that Soma would rarely see the princess save for their walks to her room. On the occasion that they _do_ meet on the morning, she would always make it a point to glare at his direction. He still hadn't figured out what that glare was for so he just smiled at her like usual.

The blonde would then flip her hair and walk in the other direction without giving him another glance, or even a greeting.

So on these days, Prince Soma busied himself with familiarizing the places within the palace—each corner, passage ways and shortcuts. He doesn't want to be late again to any appointment with the king just because he turned to the wrong corner or entered the wrong room (that was embarrassing even if the King just laughed it off).

These also gave him a chance to converse with the guards and other servants. They were hesitant at first but they were very fun to talk with once they overcame their awkwardness towards him. The palace guards often gave him insights about the castle's security as well as some gossips about other kingdoms. The servants, on the other hand, always had very entertaining stories to tell. They told him stories about their time at the palace. They also told him all about Princess Erina. It seemed that even though the princess can be quite harsh, she was loved by her maids. They spoke about her with such fondness and adoration as if she were still their sweet little girl.

But within the massive castle, his favorite place would always be the Royal Kitchen. The chaos inside didn't bother him at all and the sounds in the kitchen—like the clicking of the stove, a fish having contact with a heated oil, and the sound of a knife cutting through a meat—have a strange effect of calming him down. That's why on most days, the red haired prince can be found in there.

"Hey, Julio. You're sure I can use this oven, right?" Soma asked as he stood in front the oven at the very end corner of the kitchen.

"Yes, Prince Soma. There are many oven here at the kitchen so lending you one isn't a problem at all."

"Thanks! And for the last time, drop the 'Prince'." He called on his back as he headed towards the changing room.

"Forgive me, but I can't do that Your Highness." Julio said followed by a low chuckle.

Soma just sighed. He never liked the tittles that were always attached to his name. People called him 'Prince Soma' yet he never really wanted to be a prince. People called him 'Your Highness' yet he doesn't feel like he's any higher that anyone else. For him, tittles were so pretentious, especially now considering his current status.

He closed the door behind him and went to retrieve the clothes that he had set aside earlier.

He unbuttoned his vest and then undressed the garment before putting on a dark blue chef's outfit that his mother gave him before he left. He rolled up his sleeves all the way to his elbow then went to retrieve his discarded clothing, placing it neatly in the newly vacated cabinet.

Once he was satisfied with his clothing, he exited the room and went to the storage area.

Today he decided that he would be baking.

What to bake? He still had no idea. He was aiming for something simple and sweet — something that he can serve for snack.

His eyes roamed the rack of vegetables and ingredients. He needed something light for the stomach. His hands were on his hips and he was tapping his foot when an idea finally popped on his mind. He always wanted to recreate one of those so what better place than to try making it here?

He asked Julio if they have a recipe for what he had in mind and the head chef pointed him towards the drawer where they kept their records of recipes.

"M, m, m, m, m," Soma murmured as he went through the cards. When he finally found the recipe, he closed the drawer, briefly scanned the instruction and then went back to the storage room to get the ingredients.

He grabbed some flour, eggs, sugar, and salt. On a split decision, he also grabbed some black sesame seeds and food coloring. Then he went to get his equipment like the rolling pin, bowl, measuring cups and spoon. When he was done bringing all what he needed to the long table that the palace cooks have so graciously lent to him, he clapped then rubbed his hand together in excitement.

He started by roasting the black sesame seeds in the heavy-base pan over low-medium heat until they were aromatic and then grounded it until they were finely ground. He liked black sesame seeds because of its intense flavor and aroma. Moreover, the seed is full of calcium, iron, copper, magnesium and phosphorous, which help support healthy bones, muscles, blood and nervous system, which he had learned from the chefs back at home.

After finishing the prepping for the sesame seeds, he proceeded in preparing the other ingredients like sifting the flour and separating the egg whites from the yolks. He glanced at the recipe from time to time as he started mixing the ingredients, wanting to avoid errors as much as he can especially with the measurements.

The prepping cost him half an hour before he can put anything in the oven. When the trays were inside, he started making the ganache, mixing white chocolate with the sesame seeds.

When the oven dinged, Soma, wearing oven mitts over his hands, opened the oven and retrieved the tray of fresh and hot macaron shells. The aroma of the freshly baked goods filled the kitchen causing Julio and some of the cooks to stop and look at his direction.

"That looks delicious, Price Soma," Julio praised as he neared his area.

"And it smells delicious, too." One of the chefs agreed as they also went to check on the prince's work.

Soma used the cloth that was tied on his wrist to wipe the sweat running on his forehead as he beamed at his spectators.

"Thanks! Though I still had to cool it down before I can add the ganache. I was hoping to have you taste it in time before lunch, but I guess I still have to get it chilled and will probably be ready for this afternoon's snack."

"I would advise to chill it overnight, my prince." Julio suggested as he inspected the trays. "That way you could maximize its deliciousness."

Soma lit up with this information.

So when the macaron shells were cool enough, he added the ganache, put them in a capped container, and then stored it in the freezer.

Having nothing else to do, Soma changed back into his vest and went outside for some fresh air. He walked aimlessly, returning the greetings that the passing guards were throwing his way, before he rounder the corner towards the gardens.

He stopped short when he saw her.

His mother always said that she's worried about him since it looks like the only thing he cared about was food. And he knew that he can be oblivious at times, all right, but he wasn't blind.

Seeing Princess Erina perched beside the fountain, a book on one hand and a wine glass on the other, he couldn't help but admit that she was indeed beautiful. Her honey blonde hair complements her fair complexion and the sideburns that framed her face added to her appeal. Her long eyelashes emphasizes those rare purple eyes that you could easily get lost to, but could also make someone stop cold due to its intimidating gaze.

Despite his dislike on name titles, seeing the princess with the wind softly blowing on her hair and the sunshine caressing her face, he couldn't help but associate her to a princess. The way she looks, the way she moves, and the way she carry herself—she was a princess through and through.

He watched her from his spot, leaning his body on the wall and tucking his hands on his pocket. He briefly wondered why she was outside. As far as he knew, it was still a few hours before lunch time. He doubted that she was running away from her appointments but it was still a possibility. She was well hidden from anyone coming from inside the palace but Soma could clearly see her from where he is.

Just then, he heard a commotion coming from the other side. He could hear the multiple and hurried footsteps of the guards, coupled with indistinctive shouting and commands they threw towards each other.

He looked over the fountain but it seemed like the princess was oblivious to anything other than the book on her lap. He wondered what she was reading that got her so focused. He was so used with her frown that he was almost caught off guard with this serene exterior. She would sip from her wine glass from time to time as she flipped a page, her face relaxed.

But in a split second, her expression changed from relaxed to shock as a fluffy brown dog bounded in front of her and put its paws on her gown.

Soma winced. He knew what was about to happen. He do not want to be that dog right now.

But then again, Princess Erina surprised him for the second time that day.

Instead of an icy glare that he had expected, her purple eyes lit up with excitement and her lips curved into a full on smile.

"Hello," he heard her say. She was about to caress the dog's fur but the shout from the palace guards interrupted her.

"There it is!"

"Catch it! Catch it before it gets away!"

"Take it away from the princess!"

Three guards came running towards her and one of them collared the dog.

"I'm terribly sorry, Your Highness! This thing came running inside the palace gate under our watch." One of the guards said, bowing his head on Princess Erina's direction while the other two was reigning in the runaway animal.

"Oh, I don't mind," the princess said distractedly. Her gaze was still fixated at the dog but the glint on her eyes were gone.

For a moment, the guard seemed to soften their expression and a flash of pity seemed to pass through their eyes. But it disappeared too quickly that Soma wasn't sure if it were really there.

"Forgive us again, Your Highness. We don't know where this thing came from so it's not safe for you to get your hands on him. I'll fetch a maid to help you clean and change."

With this, she looked up and composed herself as she seemed to realize the situation.

"I can call them myself. I was done here anyways. Please make sure that this doesn't happen again." She said in her usual tone.

"Yes, Princess Erina." The guards bowed down and left with the dog. Meanwhile, Princess Erina gathered her things and, throwing a last look at their direction, flipped her hair as she went inside the castle.

Soma waited until the princess disappeared inside before following her wake.

"Hello, Princess!" He said enthusiastically when he caught up on her side. "Fancy seeing you here."

The only indication that she had heard him was slight falter of her pace and the side-eye that he received from her.

Soma hastened his pace and walk in front of the blonde. Then, putting his hands back on his pocket, he turned to face the princess without halting his steps.

"So," he drawled in which he received no response. He cleared his throat before continuing.

"I cooked something today. Want to taste it?" He smirked when purple eyes briefly darted his way.

"Though, it wouldn't be ready until tomorrow." He informed her. Princess Erina didn't slow down and continued walking as if Soma wasn't there at all.

"I haven't tasted it myself but I had high hopes that—aw!—whoa—ugh!"

Soma wasn't watching where he was going so he also didn't see the flag that hit the back of his head, causing him to crouch and also sending him backwards towards a tangle of ropes that finally made him loose his balance and fall to the ground.

"Ouch," he muttered as he rubbed his neck. He looked up to Princess Erina who was towering over him with her arms crossed against her chest.

"If I wasn't being clear last time, let me spell it out to you this time. I'm not interested in eating any more of your creations, Yukihira. That once was enough." And then she flipped her hair and turned to the corner, leaving him gaping and confused with her behavior.

;

"Well, that was something." He said to himself as he attempted to untangle the rope from his feet.

"She could've at least helped me stand." He grumbled.

"Well would you look at this," a cheerful voice said. He looked up to find the smiling face of Satoshi Isshiki, the butler that he had befriended.

"We don't usually find our royals spoiled on the floor." The butler joked.

"Oh, Satoshi! Help me out here, would you?"

Once he was upright, Soma patted his pants and dusted his head and shoulders.

"Had another encounter with the princess?"

Soma chuckled. Satoshi seemed to know everything without needing Soma to tell him anything.

"I don't understand her," he started. "She keeps on giving me this glare like I did something wrong. I almost thought that she was only capable of frowning when she finally smiled to a dog. To a _dog_ Satoshi. And here I thought she was finally in a good mood to taste my cooking." Satoshi only chucked as he listened to the prince's whines.

"Just give her time. The princess isn't that bad once you get to know her. You'll figure it out eventually." Satoshi said sending him a wink.

He doesn't want to deal with anything that he doesn't have any answers to so Soma temporarily put the matter at the back of his mind and turned to the butler hoping that he had something to put his mind elsewhere.

"Doing anything today, Satoshi?"

"About that." The butler said as he clapped his hands in front of him. "I asked the King earlier if I could bring you along to town—maybe show you around the kingdom."

"And?" Soma probed, the prospect of going outside making him excited.

"He doesn't have a problem with it as long as you're interested."

"Of course I am."

"Perfect! I'll grab our lunch and meet you at the stables."

;

It was late by the time Soma got back from the castle. After eating the meal that the cooks have set aside for him, he figured that he ought to check up on his fiancé before going to bed. He figured that he owed it to her after missing diner and failing to accompany her to her room. He also didn't want to disappoint the King. He wanted this—whatever this is—to work out with his granddaughter and the least Soma could do was to try making it work. At least the Princess Erina was cooperating by tolerating his presence.

He knocked trice when he reached her door and waited for a verbal permission to enter her room.

The door opened—much to his surprise—and instead of seeing the purple eyed princess, he was met by a stranger whose eyes twinkled with mischief the moment it landed on him.

"My, my. And who do we have here?"

;;;

 **End Note** : Please note that I have no idea when it came to cooking (even though I you can always find me watching cooking shows like Master Chef, Cupcake Wars, Worst Chef, and SnS), so therefore I also had no idea on how accurate those info's that I researched about French macarons (Yes, it was French macarons that Soma baked xD). I apologize for any mistakes that I made (or will make in the future). I hope you still enjoyed it!

Thank you for the feedbacks! Those were always appreciated! :)

;

.thatgirl.


	3. The Unexpected Occations

**THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT**

 _ **Chapter 3**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** First of all, I wanted to thank _ShirotaMahiru_ for dropping in that review for the previous chapter. It was really encouraging and totally made me happy and a little bit confident with my writing. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint. :)

* * *

 _ **Previously:**_

 _The door opened—much to his surprise—and instead of seeing the purple eyed princess, he was met by a stranger whose eyes twinkled with mischief the moment it landed on him._

" _My, my. And who do we have here?"_

* * *

"Alice!" Erina cried as she jumped from her bed to stop her cousin from opening the door—only to no avail. She had a pretty good idea on who was outside her room and frankly, she wasn't that excited to introduce him to the other princess. Of course, she knew that she couldn't _not_ introduce the two but she was hoping that their meeting would be much later. While she didn't have any problem with Yukihira, her cousin was a whole other matter—and a whole lot trouble.

"Uh. Hi?" The redhead greeted with confusion clearly written on his face. He had his eyebrows scrunched together and his head tilting to the side as he regarded the white haired lady who had just came out of her room.

"So? Are you going to introduce yourself or were you planning on tilting your head all night?" Alice asked innocently and if it were any other day, Erina might have smirked and give her cousin a reward for telling that to his face.

"Uh," Yukihira started but Erina steeped out between the two before he can say anything unnecessary.

"Alice." She first said to her cousin in a warning tone. She then cleared her throat and turned to the prince.

"Yukihira, this is Princess Alice Nakiri. She's a cousin of mine who'll be staying here for a while." She said indifferently as an introduction and a way of explanation on Alice's presence inside her room. She then turned to her cousin without enthusiasm.

"Alice," she started gravely which caused the other girl to raise her perfectly trimmed eyebrow.

"This is Soma Yukihira." She said simply. Recognition flashed onto Alice's eyes and a devilish smirk curved on her mouth.

"Oh. So _you're_ the infamous Yukihira!" Alice said cheerfully, extending her right arm to the still confused prince. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise, Princess Alice." Yukihira replied as he was finally able to compose himself and shook the other princess's hand.

"Please, call me Alice," the white haired princess said as she waved a hand in front of her face. "So how do you find the castle, so far?"

"It was lovely. I assure you that I have nothing but praise for this place."

Erina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as the two of them indulged in a small talk. They talked about the servants, the guards and Yukihira's apparent interest in cooking. She usually didn't like it when she was being ignored but she had no interest in joining their discussion.

Their conversation shifted from mundane topics when Alice, with her hands behind her back, circled Yukihira like a child examining a piece of an unfamiliar statue. For his part, Yukihira remained standing with his hands tucked in his front pockets, calmly letting her cousin do whatever she wanted.

"I had to admit," the girl started as she finally looked at him. "You're not quite what I had imagined."

Yukihira raised his scarred eyebrow at this while Erina gave her a wary look.

"I didn't expect that you'd know anything about me," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I heard _soo much_ about you." Alice said, playfully looking over the blonde. At this point, Erina wanted nothing more than to sew her cousin's mouth and maybe ban her from ever entering her room again.

"Oh really?" Yukihira mused as he also sent her an amused look. She glared in response but she found out early on that her glare had little to no effect when it came to this man.

"And what kind of things have Princess Erina said about me?"

"It's a secret."

He turned his gaze away from the blonde and grinned at the other Nakiri.

"A secret, huh? And I suppose I cannot bribe you into spilling the beans?"

"A secret makes a woman _woman_." Alice stated in mock seriousness.

"I just hope that there was at least one good thing that she had said about me." Yukihira said as he put his hand behind his neck.

"I'm sure there will be one day."

The prince couldn't help but laugh and Erina thought that it wasn't even funny.

Above them, the bell chimed and resonated around the palace, signaling that the clock has struck to eight. Yukihira straightened up and composed himself before facing the two.

"It's getting late so I should probably leave you two." Erina mentally sighed in relief. She was about to reply to the redhead when suddenly, soft lips were being pressed on her right cheek—so unexpected that it left her momentarily stunned and speechless.

Yukihira pulled back with a satisfied grin and if Erina was in her right mind, she wouldn't have let it pass.

"Good night, Princess." He said before turning to Alice. "You too, Alice. It was nice meeting you."

And then he was gone.

It was a few moments before Alice turned towards the blonde with a little mischief dancing on her ruby eyes.

"Well, I didn't expect that. I thought you didn't like him? Or, have I misinterpreted the things you've told me?"

;

"How many times do I have to tell you that it was mainly political?" Erina said for the third time that night.

Long after Yukihira have left and they reentered her room, Alice kept bugging her about their _"relationship"_. She was getting frustrated. If there was one things she doesn't like about Alice, it's her inquisitiveness. She wouldn't stop her questions until you gave her the answer that she wanted to hear.

"And that's it?"

"That's it."

"So earlier, where did that blush came from?"

"Wha—? He caught me off guard!"

"Uh huh."

"I don't like him." She stated, repulsed by the very idea. Meanwhile, Alice just gave her an unamused and disbelieving look.

"I don't." She insisted. "Couldn't you see that he's so arrogant? Smug and overconfident?"

She started pacing as she listed the things that she disliked about the redhead.

"He thinks he's a great chef and grandpa seemed to be fond of him! But he's so oblivious—obtuse, at times. Like he doesn't see really obvious stuff, like the way people feel, even when you're giving him hints and being totally blatant."

"And I meant that it the most negative way possible." She added pointedly when she saw the teasing smirk that Alice was sending her way.

Alice was about to open her mouth but the look on the blonde's face stopped her from saying what she wanted to say. Instead she sighed and raised both of her arms in defeat.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop." Erina internally sighed in relief as she mounted her bed to get ready to sleep.

"Now scoot over." Alice said as she grabbed one of her pillows. Erina just stared at her cousin in confusion while Alice waited expectantly.

"You have your own room, Alice." Erina said slowly.

"And?"

Erina sighed. "I don't want to share my bed _and_ my pillows to you." She said frankly.

"Mou! You're so cruel Erina." Alice whined, puffing her cheeks and pouting at the blonde before stomping towards the other room.

Erina wasn't worried. Alice has always been the dramatic one between the two of them. Besides, the very reason why they built a room connected to her own was because their twelve year old selves were already too big to be comfortable in sharing a single bed.

"Good night, Alice." She called, nonetheless.

"G'night." She heard her say before she closed the door connecting the two rooms.

Erina smiled as she turned off her lamp.

;

She woke up at the sound of Alice's cheery voice as the girl entered her room.

"I'm going to borrow your hairbrush. I can't seem to find mine!" She said and she heard her sit at her cabinet where her cosmetics were neatly organized.

Erina tried to get back to sleep but the clinking of vials and her cousin's voice humming an off-key song made it impossible.

She slowly opened her eyelids and let her eyes adjust to the light streaming from her window. Alice was already dressed in her cream colored gown and Erina wondered what got her up so early in the morning.

A knock resounded from the door followed by a maid announcing their breakfast.

"Come in!" Alice called as she applied mascaras to her eyelashes.

The maid came in strolling the trays containing their meals.

Erina got up from her bed and went to her bathroom while the maid was setting up the table. When she came back, Alice was already seated as the maid poured tea onto their cups. She took her seat and the servant retreated, presumably to prepare her bath.

"She's a shy one." Alice commented.

"She's new. Only been here for a couple of weeks. Mrs. Fumio thought that she'll need additional hands to prepare for the upcoming ball." She said as she sliced through her bacon.

"Speaking of upcoming balls," Alice started and Erina looked up, knowing that she'll hear another one of her cousin's scheme.

"I'm planning to throw one tomorrow night!" she told her excitedly.

"And why, may I ask?" Erina asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Because I can." Alice replied like it should be obvious.

"No." Erina simply said as she directed her gaze to her plate and used her fork to lift the bacon to her mouth.

There was a silence that followed and she knew that the other girl was throwing her one of her childish pouts.

"Why?" Alice whined.

"Because it is completely unnecessary. You couldn't just write an invitation saying that you're throwing a ball just because you wanted to—even though, we can. That would reflect badly on us."

"But it's _Totsuki's ball_. No one would be crazy enough to reject an invitation from Totsuki. They would be thanking _us_ for even inviting them."

"I know." She said as she continued eating. She took a sip from her teacup and when she lowered her hand, she finally raised her eyes. "But unless you could come up with a better reason, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to do what you want."

"I'm sure Satoshi could think of something." Alice told her desperately.

Erina stopped.

"What? So you already had Satoshi to take care of the invitations before telling me?" She exclaimed.

Alice, at least, had the decency to look sheepish.

;

After Erina had showered and dressed, the two of them went down and headed towards the Royal Kitchen. Alice had to talk to Julio, and to a lot of the other servants, regarding the menu, the theme for the palace, instructions for the decorations, the music and other minor details for the ball.

She was still a little annoyed so she intend to let her do all the work—though Erina doubted if she could even call this a punishment. If there was one thing her cousin loves more than meddling with her life, it would be parties, social gatherings and royal balls.

Despite her childish acts, Alice plans a party into perfection and would settle for nothing less. Truth be told, she was initially upset that she didn't have full control on planning over Erina's birthday party, or the "Grandest Ball of the Century" as she dubbed it, but even the ruby eyed princess had admitted that she would need help for a ball that grand and for such an important event, not just to Erina but also to the kingdom.

If she wasn't annoyed, Erina would've been touched by Alice's gesture of setting aside her selfishness for her.

But she was _still_ annoyed.

So she would only settle for ignoring the blabbering princess beside her, let her do whatever she wanted, and only interfere if things got out of hand.

;

Their heels made clinking sounds as they neared the kitchen but given that it was a busy day, it was no surprise that only a handful of chefs have noticed their presence as they entered the main kitchen area.

The Royal Kitchen have ten cooking stations, five to the left and five to the right, and fifteen long tables that were strategically placed in areas that would be convenient for the cooks.

Erina scanned the huge room for any sign of the head chef but it seemed that Julio couldn't be found, a fact that she found odd since he would always be the first to greet her on the occasions that she visited the kitchen. But she did see a cluster of four or five cooks huddled together at the very end of the room.

She led Alice to that direction.

As they passed each station, the chefs momentarily stopped what they were doing to bow and throw greetings at the princesses. They acknowledged each greeting but when they neared their destination, Erina frowned as she heard the unmistakable voice of her least favorite person in the castle.

"I hope you're not saying that just to butter up my ego." She heard him say in an overly enthusiastic tone.

"Of course not. This is delicious, Price Soma. Is this the first time you've made these?" Said another one though she couldn't be sure on who among them had spoken.

"Ah," he started, a little bashful. "I've made this back at home but it was a disaster."

"But still, this actually quite good. Maybe even better than what I've made." She was surprised when it was Julio who spoke and more surprised that it was Yukihira who was being surrounded.

She had known that he was interested in culinary and frequented the kitchen but it was still a shock to find him here, much less in a chef's outfit. Though she shouldn't have been. This was where she first saw him, after all.

Yukihira was the first one to notice their presence, given that he was the only one facing at their direction.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise." He said, genuine surprise laced on his voice. The implication that he had thought that she had never set foot on the kitchen caused her eyebrows to twitch.

The others turned and immediately bowed.

"Princess Erina. Princess Alice," they greeted but Erina paid them no mind.

"I come here once in a while, just so you know." Erina said over their heads. By the looks she was receiving, Erina was quite sure that she had said it forcefully than intended and that she wasn't able to mask the irritation from her voice.

She took a deep breath and tried to recompose herself. She hated how she can easily lose her temper in front of this man. She was usually calm and collected but Yukihira always seemed to know how to set her off. When she was sure that she had regained her mask of indifference, she addressed the other palace cooks.

"There seemed to be something going on in here for this many cooks to cluster in one place." She commented. "I hope we weren't interrupting anything important."

"Not at all, Your Highness." Julio said. "Prince Soma was just—"

"Oh, it's nothing you should worry yourself about, Princess." Yukihira interjected, cutting off whatever Julio was about to say.

Her purple eyes narrowed at him and she stopped herself from hurling another remark on his brazen attitude. Her eyes slid down on the table and she noticed a lidded container that he was holding with his right arm.

"What is that?" She found herself asking before she could stop herself.

"Oh, this?" he asked, tapping the container. He flashed her a grin and the all too familiar mischievous glint returned on his eyes.

"This is just something that I made yesterday."

Erina waited but he made no move to elaborate further. Yukihira only continued to flash her with a smile that she knew was too innocent to be real. She briefly recalled him saying that he had cooked something the day before but he never mentioned what it was, or rather, he didn't have the chance to.

Looking back at him she saw that his smile has evolved into a smirk and that's how she knew. He was goading her! He wanted _her_ to ask more information. He knew that she was curious but she wouldn't let him have the satisfaction of being right.

"Very well then," she said instead. "We were here to talk to Julio. So please continue, whatever it is you were doing."

Julio led them away from the group and to a more private and less busy area in the kitchen. He and Alice immediately launched into discussion about the party—what should be served, what _shouldn't_ be served, the selection of the wine, the desserts, and how fancy should be the menus.

She dutifully followed their conversation, ready to shot down anything if it weren't in her preferred selection but it wasn't necessary. These two knew her so well that she didn't have to worry. Her eyes briefly diverted from them and she unconsciously scanned the area until it landed on a certain red hair.

He was currently at another cooking station, probably making them taste his creation. She was again plagued with curiosity but she couldn't see what was inside that container he was holding mainly because he had his back against her and was blocking her view. If she didn't know any better she would think that he was doing it on purpose. Or maybe he was?

His left hand was now on his chin and he was nodding his head as the chef in front of him talked. He seemed to be giving Yukihira some sort of advice.

She tried to figure out what kind of food he had served based on the movement of the chef's mouth but all too soon, Erina realized what she was doing, where she was looking and who she had been observing that it took her less than a second to avert her gaze.

She refocused her attention in front of her.

"There should always be wine in sight and also that little chewable desserts if possible but not too many servers roaming all at once, it would distracting. But I'll just leave it all to you. You know the drill. Just make sure that the newly hired servers will know what they were doing, but I'll also talk to Satoshi about this matter so you shouldn't worry so much." Alice instructed. "Now for the desserts."

Once again, her eyes drifted elsewhere but this time, she found herself gazing at the golden orbs that were also trained on her.

She abruptly turned her face away, her cheeks heating in embarrassment.

Alice wrapped up her conversation with Julio and it wasn't very long before they were thanking the head chef and exiting the kitchen.

Erina never once looked back.

;

Her feet were starting to hurt.

She had never felt this exhausted when she was the one handling all the preparations. She hadn't realized that doing nothing was more tiring than actually doing the planning and organizing.

So after she accompanied Alice as she talked to the orchestra, ordered the flowers, selected the colors for the curtains and table napkins, and gave instructions for the placement of the banquet, Erina dragged her cousin towards the staircase that would lead to the Royal Library for her much needed rest.

When her back finally hit the sofa, she released an audible sigh and her posture goes slack. Alice was still muttering about her plans but Erina closed her eyes and briefly allowed herself to relax. She welcomed the cozy silence and let the smell of books and the library's ambiance to overwhelm her senses and calm her nerves.

It was after a few moments that she opened her eyes, got up from the sofa and went to her favorite section of the library—the area only a few steps from the rounded rectangular table where the sofas were located. Placed there was a huge shelf that was distinctly separate from the lined shelves that arcs the central area of the room.

It took her a while to select a book but after she did, instead of sitting at her personal study table like she usually would've done, she chose to go back at the sofas where her cousin was now working on a journal. She looked up when Erina finally seated herself besides her.

"Shouldn't you be reading something along the lines of spices and condiments and stuffs like that?" Alice asked when she read the title of the book Erina was holding.

"Shouldn't you be working on your preparations for the _tomorrow night's_ ball?" Erina replied which earned her a grumble and an eye-roll.

They sat side by side and occupied themselves. Erina read her book while Alice made a checklist for the party. That's how the head of the household staffs had found them.

"Ah! And here they are."

"Mrs. Fumio!" Alice exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the familiar face of the head servant that had been at the palace for as long as they could remember.

"Hello, Princess Alice. I can't say that I'm glad to see you here. You're always making my job harder by adding extra work on my hands." Mrs. Fumio told her teasingly.

"I tried to stop her." Erina informed and Alice sent her an unintimidating glare.

"The two of you were always such a bully. You know I only had a few days of freedom before Ryo get here."

"And I couldn't wait for that lad to get here."

"Mou."

Erina secretly hid her smile behind her book. It was always amusing when Mrs. Fumio was around. She would always be on Erina's side and would always help her torment her cousin. For once, Alice wouldn't be the one teasing but the one being teased. It was refreshing to have the roles reversed.

But they all knew that Mrs. Fumio didn't came looking for them, for Alice in particular, just to have a chat. Like the older woman said, she had a lot of work to do and if Alice wanted to make this party into perfection then she'd have to double her efforts to fit a three-day worth of effort into one.

So after eating the lunch that Mrs. Fumio had brought, Alice went downstairs with the head maid while Erina chose to remain where she was. She would only look like Alice's aide if she kept following her around.

She slipped off her heels and tucked her feet under her gown as she adjusted to get comfortable on the sofa. She immersed herself between the pages of the book, for once, uncaring of her surroundings since she was safely at the comforts of what she could consider as her sanctuary and away from prying eyes.

She didn't know what time it was when Mrs. Fumio returned carrying a plate of pastries and a teacup. She set the snack at the table and didn't bat an eye at Erina's improper position. She had seen Princess Erina at her worst and she knew that Mrs. Fumio wouldn't mind it even if she ate while reading. Nevertheless, Erina lowered her feet and worn her heels, smoothing out her gown as she neatly bookmarked her book and placed it at her side.

Mrs. Fumio hung back with the empty tray on her hand and Erina sent her a questioning glance. She could always call a maid to clean up the plates after she's done eating so there was no reason to wait for her to finish.

"Julio wanted to hear your opinion about the food, your Highness" Mrs. Fumio explained.

"I'm sure it's fine." She said dismissively. "If Julio was worried, you could tell him that he wouldn't be working here if I didn't approve of his cooking and believe in his capabilities. He has nothing to worry about."

"He insisted," Mrs. Fumio said with a hint of a smile.

 _This is just a snack_ , Erina thought as she eyed the macarons that were served in front of her. She could understand it if Julio wanted to hear her opinion about a certain dish but this was just—

 _Oh._

He served her a batch of macarons.

 _French macarons._

And the last time he made one of these, she made a mistake of saying that it didn't taste like her mother's. She knew that her mom wasn't the best cook in the world and later realized that the comparison wasn't impartial but the head chef must have took her comment at heart since he never made these again. She wondered what changed.

She picked an ashen colored macaron from the plate and slowly lifted it towards her mouth. _Black sesame seeds_ , she thought as the aroma of the baked good assaulted her sense of smell. When she took a bite, it was as if she was transported to a place where fireworks were shooting up to the night sky, just like how the flavors burst inside her mouth. She could taste the sesame, the chocolate, the sweetness and a bit of sourness but they all balanced each other as it made contact with her delicate tongue. She took another bite, and then another, expecting the flavors to clash but it didn't. She opened her eyes that seemed to have closed on its own as she finished the cookie.

"The macaron itself was good." She said in a professional tone. "Perfecting the taste was a little tricky since most people have their own preference of sweetness but the flavors in here were well balanced as it is. He made good use of the black sesame seeds and white chocolate. Although, the texture and firmness of the shell could still have a little improvement." She finished but then she remembered that she was only talking to Mrs. Fumio and not to a client. She softly coughed to cover her embarrassment.

"And?" Mrs. Fumio prompted and Erina raised a quizzical eyebrow. She didn't know what else was there to say. She had just stated her opinion.

"How did it compare to Queen Eri's macarons?" Mrs. Fumio asked kindly but Erina almost flushed. She was again reminded of her unprofessional critique from a few years ago.

"To start, this dish was clearly done by a professional." They both know that there was a ' _But_ ' hanging from that statement but Erina was hesitant to voice it out loud. The expectant look that Mrs. Fumio gave her made her sigh and open her mouth.

"But it just… gave off a different sensation. I… I couldn't really explain it." She finished slowly.

Mrs. Fumio seemed satisfied and bid her farewell, leaving Erina a little bit confused as she finished her snack.

It was all soon forgotten when she picked up her book and continued where she left off.

;

At dinner, Alice wouldn't stop talking about tomorrow's party in which she'd called _The Grand Gala._ Their grandfather was supportive while Erina just wanted to curl up on her bed.

"And _you_ , Prince Soma Yukihira!" Alice said dramatically in between monologues, pointing her fork at the redhead. "You should dress to impress!"

Their grandfather released a boisterous laughter and turned to Yukihira. "Alice invited all of Erina's former suitors so you had to outdo all of them."

Yukihira chuckled. "You're putting too much pressure on me, your Majesty. They weren't supposed to know who I am yet."

Erina merely kept quiet. She just wanted this day to end.

;

Yukihira dutifully escorted them towards Erina's room after dinner ended. Alice walked ahead of them and made a show of winking at their direction before she entered the room. When they reached her door, Erina turned to her fiancée and crossed her arms.

"Good night, Princess. I'll be looking forward for a dance with you tomorrow evening." He said with a grin.

She scoffed before she ran her hand to the lengths of her hair, flipping it to the side. "As if, Yukihira."

She stood there as she met his gaze. He was waiting if she would say anything else. She debated for a moment but throwing caution aside, she leaned in and pressed her lips on his cheek, much like what he did the night before.

When she pulled back, she reveled in the sight of the dumbfounded look on the redhead's face.

Revenge is sweet.

"Good night, Yukihira." She said with a wide smile before entering her room and shutting the door.

;;;

 **End note:** This is as far as I can go. I'm still not _that_ confident to make longer chapters since I'm afraid that I'll just drag the narration and bore you all but I'll try. :)

I also quoted a line or two from another manga/book so if you noticed them, then good. If you don't then, it doesn't really matter. Thank you for reading and feel free to leave feedbacks. Those are always appreciated. :)

;

.thatgirl.


	4. The Grand Gala

**THE ROYAL ENGAGEMENT**

 _ **Chapter 4:**_

* * *

 _ **Previously:**_

" _Good night, Princess. I'll be looking forward for a dance with you tomorrow evening." He said with a grin._

 _She scoffed before she ran her hand to the lengths of her hair, flipping it to the side. "As if, Yukihira."_

* * *

Contrary to what was expected—or at least what _he_ expected—Prince Soma spent more time than usual in selecting his outfit for the night.

He have been standing in front of his closet for the past fifteen minutes, trying to figure out an appropriate attire for the upcoming party. He grabbed two coats of the same color, holding it up in front of him and trying to figure out what was different from the other.

He was never one of those who stressed over their clothes. His casual outfits were usually the first thing that he can grab from his closet. In fact, in these kinds of occasions he would usually let his mother or his maids choose his formal attire. And truthfully, he didn't even know the distinction between those formal attires that he wore on different occasions because more often than not, it felt like he was just wearing the same blue garb over and over again. Their seamstress once told him that it was all on the details, but honestly, how could he tell? It's not like everyone would inspect every little detail of his outfit much less something as trivial as an embroidery.

So while he didn't usually care about what he wore, this time it was different. This time he wasn't the one being celebrated. He wasn't the center of the celebration. He just couldn't get away by wearing the same-styled outfit that has their kingdom's color. This time, he was on an unfamiliar territory and he needed to make a great first impression. Everyone in attendance would know one another—or at least must have known of each other if they were all allied to Totsuki. He would be the stranger among the crowd and just like the King had suggested the previous night, he _must_ outdo them all—not just for himself (well, partly) but also for the pride of the kingdom where he came from.

" _Why don't we tailor you a new one? Totsuki have the best seamstresses_ — _well, our servants are always the best among the best—but anyways, seriously, it would be done in no time."_

This was what Princess Alice had said the previous night but Soma doubted that they could finish tailoring up a new coat for him in time for tonight's ball. Instead, he'll call a servant and have them alter one of his formal outfit.

He carefully searched his wardrobe for something that could easily be altered. He wouldn't want to trouble the seamstress with this added chore and he figured that they couldn't do much with the little time that they had before the ball. In the end, he chose black pants paired with cream colored suit with dark blue lapels.

Carrying his clothes, Prince Soma went outside of his room with the intention of following (partly) Princess Alice's advice. His feet brought him downstairs where he had to dodge several servants carrying flowers and garlands from one place to the other. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and observed the chaos that was ensuing.

"Now this is as bad as a stampede," he muttered to himself. He was probably exaggerating but that was how it looked like at the moment. And to think that he was not even at the ballroom. He couldn't stop but whistle in amazement as his eyes roamed the floor.

Windows were being opened, curtains were being replaced, every nook was being dusted and not a single corner was left unattended. There were servants polishing the doorknob, the portrait frames and the handrails. Some were carrying a tower of salad plates and others were pushing tables towards the ballroom. Others were pulling clothes rack full of gowns and another one filled with tail coats of different colors. Everyone seemed to have their hands full and Soma was starting to doubt if there was even a seamstress available to patch up his garb.

He passed over the servants carrying the newly washed red carpet and they gladly pointed him towards the direction of the Tailoring Chamber.

When he arrived, he debated on whether or not he should knock. He couldn't risk bumping into an unassuming maid-servant inside so he rapped his knuckles at the door three times and waited a moment before going inside.

He was expecting the same kind of chaos like what was happening outside but he was a little disappointed to see that it was the complete opposite. The room was busy yet quiet and for a moment Soma started to question if he was still in the same building. The only thing that can be heard was the hum of the sewing machine and the quiet murmurs of the tailors inside the room.

A servant girl was approaching carrying rolls of fabric and Soma almost felt guilty at stopping her path and getting her attention.

"Oh, Prince Soma!" the girl exclaimed, surprise evident on her face at seeing the prince inside the room. "Good morning, Your Highness. How may I help you?" She asked once she got over her initial shock.

"I was hoping that you can do something about this," Soma said, lifting the pair that he had brought with him.

The servant girl dumped the fabrics at a nearby table and took the garments from the prince's hand.

"On what occasion do you need this for?" the girl asked as she extended her arms and examined the suit.

Soma lifted a hand and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm wearing it tonight. I was hoping that one of you could alter it or something, I don't know. Put a bead maybe?"

The girl put down the suit and gave him a confused look, her eyebrows scrunched together. "I don't understand. You didn't like the outfit that we've prepared for you?"

Now it was Soma's turn to be confused.

"What outfit?" he asked because as far as he knew, no one has given him any instruction on what to wear. If they did then it would've saved him the time he spent trying to find the difference between a blue coat and another blue coat.

"We made you an outfit for the Grand Gala." She said as she re-collected the rolls of fabrics from the table. She started distributing them around the room and Soma was left with no other choice but to follow at her heels.

"It was mostly done but we still need your measurements for the necessary adjustments. What we've used were only rough estimations." When Soma didn't reply, the girl turned. "You didn't know?"

"Nope. This is the first time that I am hearing about this." Soma replied with a shrug.

"Our deepest apologies, Your Highness." She hastily said as she bowed down her head.

"No, no. It's okay. At least I got to wear something new." He reassured with a chuckle. "Now where is it so I could try it on?"

;

After leaving the Tailoring Chamber, Soma was at a loss for what to do. He couldn't just intrude in the kitchen like usual. The halls were crowded. He couldn't chat with one of the guards since the security was being tightened.

He heaved a sigh. It seemed like a start of a boring day for the prince. He pocketed his hands and started walking, proceeding to wherever his feet may take him. He didn't notice that he was almost outside the castle until he heard the gallops of horses of the guards on patrol.

 _Maybe I could go around town._ He thought and his mouth curved upward. He turned around and fastened his pace now that he has a destination in mind. He figured that he can avoid all that bizarre activities going on inside if he went around the castle so that's what he did. He was turning at the last corner towards the stables when he ran over Satoshi who seemed to have just came back from his errands.

"Prince Soma. What a great timing." The butler said as he steadied the prince. Before Soma can reply, Satoshi thrust a roll of parchment towards the prince's hand.

"What is this?" Soma asked.

Satoshi only smiled, his eyes almost disappearing between his eyelids. "Your competitions." He said before patting Soma's back and leaving the prince standing.

Soma stared at the parchment for a moment before he decided to pull the ribbon holding it all together. He unfolded the paper and he couldn't help but shake his head in amusement as he scanned its contents.

 _Prince Zen Sasaki of the Southern Iles_

 _Prince Lout Jongerson of Berkland_

 _Prince Ethan Nakamura of the Northern Borders_

And the list goes on. He didn't fail to notice that only the list of the princes invited were given to him.

"That Isshiki," he muttered as he once again rerouted towards the palace. "He never failed to give me something to do."

;

The music started just as the carriages arrived one after the other. Prince and princesses with their escorts poured into the castle and it wasn't long before the ballroom was packed with royals.

Soma quietly sipped his wine as he observed his surroundings. He just came back at the banquet table after socializing with the others.

The moment he stepped downstairs after beings announced by the herald, he was circled by a couple of curious royals. He was pulled from one conversation to another, being bombarded by questions left and right. He used this as a chance to introduce himself, his kingdom and vice versa. He made sure that he left an impression that he wasn't just some nobody prince latching to a strong ally for his personal gain.

And he made an impression alright.

The princesses he had met have shown him interests, gladly engaging him in small talks that mostly took up his time. The princes on the other hand gave him wary looks and suspicious glance, gauging if he was a threat or someone to be trusted. He tried to give them a smile—every time—which he hoped was more innocent than mischievous.

But on every conversation, he was always asked with the same question: on whether or not he was here to compete for the hand of Totsuki's princess. With this also came the realization that most of the attendees in this ball were either suitors, or the one looking for suitors. He would always answer without giving anything away, sometimes with a shrug and oftentimes a challenging smirk thrown over the other princes' way—especially toward those he didn't like.

 _Hmph. Those arrogant bunch._

"Enjoying the party?" a voice asked and he turned to see Princess Alice dragging his previous dance partner behind.

"Very," he replied raising his wine glass. "Though I'm currently in hiding."

"Nonsense. Come on, have a dance with me." Before he can refuse, Alice took his wine glass and passed it towards his partner. "Oh, and by the way. Prince Soma, this is Prince Ryo. Ryo, Prince Soma. Now, I expect you two to get along okay?" She said, hastily introducing the two princes and then dragging Soma to the dance floor.

"Is it really okay leaving him like that?" he asked once they were at the center.

"Oh, he'd be alright. Now tell me, have you asked her to dance yet?" She asked and they both know who she was talking about.

"If you hadn't noticed, I've been busy." Soma replied, looking apologetic.

"So I'm your first dance?"

"Apparently."

The both of them looked over the princess in question. She was engaged in a conversation with Prince Shoji, the second in line for the Tuven kingdom. Though he could tell that it was hardly a conversation at all. Princess Erina was facing the dance floor, a wine glass in hand, while the other prince was at her side trying to draw her attention. But other than a hum or a short reply, the blonde princess kept her eyes forward. Soma saw how Prince Shoji's shoulders sag before he straightened and bowed to the princess, bidding his goodbye. Princess Erina bowed in return and when she returned her gaze to the dance floor, Soma caught her eye. He raised an eyebrow at the princess and in return, she rolled her eyes and strolled towards the banquet.

Soma gave a chuckle. "That was the sixth one, I think." He said.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked before Soma twirled her in place and catching her once again.

"It was the sixth prince that she rejected." He explained. He turned to Alice and gave her a smirk. "Your cousin is such a heartbreaker."

"Someone is paying attention." Alice singsonged.

To this, Soma gave a laugh. "Oh, please." He said, neither denying nor agreeing to Alice.

They finished one song before Princess Alice decided that she needed rest. Prince Ryo was standing to the same place where they left him, looking bored and uninterested with his surroundings. His all-black get up added to his vibe. Before they reached him, the white haired princess nudged Soma's side and then pointed at her cousin with a small frown adorning her face. Soma escorted her to Ryo's side, passing her hand to the other prince, before turning towards the direction Alice was pointing.

The first thing that caught his attention when he looked over was the black aura that seemed to be emanating from the blonde princess. Whatever her companion was saying—well, it was obvious that she didn't like it. Her back was stiff, her perfectly mastered neutral expression was cracking and her mouth was starting to curve down.

"Prince Eizan Etsuya of Destopia." He muttered, referring to the prince with rectangular glasses and swept-back hair that was currently the source of Princess Erina's bad mood. He heard an annoyed huff from his sided and it seemed that this guy managed to annoy not one but two Nakiri princess.

"I hate that guy." Alice spat bitterly. "Why did Satoshi invited him?"

Soma didn't reply and instead continued to observe the interaction between the two. Prince Eizan seemed to be oblivious to all the hate and glares he was receiving. That, or he was just persistent. Princess Erina was flat out ignoring him but that didn't deter the guy. He moved towards Erina's line of sight and continued talking as if nothing was amiss.

A servant was approaching them carrying a tray of empty wine glass and ice bucket containing red wine. Princess Erina was about to place her own glass on the tray when Prince Eizan suddenly took the wine glass from her hold and put it in the tray himself.

Erina huffed and when she was about to turn away from the prince, Eizan grabbed her hand and slowly brought it to his lips.

Soma saw how Erina's eyes turned into slits and he felt how his own eyes twitched. With purposeful strides, he marched towards their direction with his hands on his pockets. Neither one saw him coming which works in his favor when he snatched Erina's hand from Eizan's grasp.

"May I cut in?" He asked nonchalantly as he stepped between the two. "I believe the princess has promised me a dance." He added giving Eizan a smile as if he didn't just intrude on their conversation.

"I certainly—" Erina started but stopped when Soma looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She looked at him and then at the other prince—probably weighing her options. She narrowed her eyes as she returned her gaze to the red-head and Soma smirked knowing that he won.

"I certainly did." She said slowly then turned to the four-eyed prince. "If you'll excuse us, Prince Eizan." She said curtly.

"It's okay. It couldn't be helped." Prince four-eyes replied all the while giving Soma a look that says it was definitely not okay. He wasn't put off with the way Eizan was eying him murderously behind his spectacles. The other prince was seething and Soma treated it as a little victory.

"Don't I at least get a thank you?" Soma teased once they were positioned on the dance floor waiting for the current music to fade and for another melody to begin.

"Please. I didn't need your help." Erina replied as she let Soma clasp her right hand and let her other hand rest on his shoulder.

"It didn't look that way to me."

"I had it under control."

"Sure you do. You look like you were going to murder that prince before I interfered."

"Oh shut up."

Soma just laughed and Erina pinched his shoulder in return. This made him flinch which also made Erina smirk.

They glided on the dance floor as the music progressed. Soma took the lead in guiding her when, how and which way to turn. Their feet synched with the beat of the music and each step was executed perfectly and gracefully. They danced effortlessly and soon all eyes were trained on them. It was probably because of Princess Erina's gown. She was dressed in a glittering ball gown in gradient blue, dark blue on the top which gets lighter and lighter on the waist down. It didn't help that it looks like a starry night sky whenever she spins.

"They can't get their eyes off of you." Soma whispered conspiratorially after another twirl. "You _do_ look beautiful tonight."

"I don't need you to tell me that." Erina said as she turned away with a blush faintly visible on her face. "Though I had to admit, you cleaned up well yourself." She said in a tone that told him he should be thankful to hear those words coming from her. Soma just chuckled.

"Huh. Well this is surprising." She commented after a while. She wasn't looking at him so Soma didn't know what she was talking about. "Who knew you can attract a few admirers?" Erina said with a raised eyebrow as she returned her gaze at him.

Soma looked around and saw a couple of princesses he met earlier waving at him. He smiled in return before looking back at the blonde princess. He wouldn't really call them admirers but, well…

"Couldn't blame them. Who could resist these charms?" He was mostly teasing but it didn't stop him from flashing her a boyish grin, the one that her mother had always said would make any girl swoon.

"Such arrogance." Erina said as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm a prince. What did you expect?"

What he didn't expect was a laugh that bubbled out of her mouth. It ended as soon as it came, or rather, as soon as Erina realized what came out of her mouth.

"Did you just laugh?" Soma asked in disbelief.

Erina stared at him in amusement. "I believe I just cried."

"Very funny. But I still made you laugh though." Soma stated triumphantly.

"Don't get used to it."

He wasn't. But it sure felt good hearing that sound. He should make her laugh more often. He mentally added it to the list of things he wanted her to do more often.

;

It went better than he expected, if he do say so himself. The number of songs that they danced to speaks volume. They danced through four songs, though the fact that they spoke nothing but the negative aspects of her suitors wasn't exactly productive.

It was mostly Erina complaining, or rather, stating her critical judgment on why they were not suited for her. How Prince Zen was such a wimp he would be useless if ever war broke out. How Prince Lout was overly confident and self-centered she wouldn't expect him to prioritize his subjects' need before his own. Of course Soma wasn't spared.

"Honestly, I don't know how this engagement can be beneficial to both of us." She said frankly. "I don't know anything about you and your kingdom."

"And whose fault is that?" He teased and Erina blushed.

"That's… Ugh. That's because you can be so annoying sometimes."

He just laughed and somehow it felt like a truce between them has been reached.

He almost made her laugh again when he commented on how Prince Eizan looked like a snake when he was guiding her to the dance floor earlier. And then it started the litany of things that she found annoying about the four-eyed prince, with Soma pitching in from time to time. It was probably rude and disrespectful—making fun of a prince from an allied kingdom—but at that time, all Soma cared about was the fact that the Nakiri heiress was finally having fun.

 **;;;**

 **End note:** Sorry for the seven month delay but I hope you all like this chapter. Pardon me for the errors but I'll probably edit it if I wasn't so sleepy. Anyways, thank you for reading and a big thanks to those of you who left reviews. Your feedbacks are always appreciated. :')

;

.thatgirl.


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